UFC CEO Dana White's newest endeavor, the Power Slap League, had one of its contenders abruptly retire in dramatic fashion.
Eddie Smith, aka 'Slambo', was slated to go up against Hawaiian native Zach Zane for a spot on the upcoming live card. However, at the weigh-ins and the subsequent face-off, White observed that 'Slambo' was not himself.
He said:
"The only thing that's weird is that Ed seemed a little off at the face-offs."
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White's fears were confirmed when Smith went backstage and informed welterweight contender Emmanuel Muniz about his shock retirement. He stated his disinterest in the consequences of his actions and addressed the camera about his reasons, saying:
“I’m out, Manny. I retired. I don’t give a f**k, you know? I decided to pull out of the competition and quit the show early. It was not for Slambo – I don’t think – I thought it was and I was going to bed at night. I was just seeing that Irish kid fall over, and over, and over. You know, Jesus tells me no. So this ain’t a good idea for Slambo.”
Check out the segment from Power Slap League below:
Smith's last match was his main reason for pulling out of the sport. He had to step in and take on Sean 'The Infamous' Kilmartin after Chris Debow's withdrawal. In the matchup, 'Slambo' rocked Kilmartin with a quick strike on the count of one and surprised the Irishman, causing him to reel back and hit the ground.
Although 'Slambo' was disqualified for a stepping foul, he still advanced due to Kilmartin not being medically cleared to compete further. However, he will now be replaced by Chris Debow in his matchup against Zach Zane.
Fans react to Eddie Smith's abrupt retirement from Power Slap League
Fans had hilarious reactions to Eddie Smith's sudden retirement from Power Slap League. Some of them joked about his usage of Jesus as his inspiration to step back.
"That “Irish Kid” was probably like damn Jesus you could’ve told him power slap was bad before he rocked me"
"Honestly props to Jesus for throwing in the towel and protecting his fighter, doesn’t happen enough in mmA the coaches could learn something from this guy"
"BASED Jesus."
Others lauded him for his smart decision, but some also feared that it may be too late to salvage him.
"Smartest Powerslap Guy"
"Sorry guys - I didn’t mean to ruin the show I just care about Slambo"
"What’s funny is this is 100 percent reasonable."
"he’s already referring to himself in third person with the blankest eyes i’ve ever seen i fear it may be too late"
Check out fans' reactions in the screenshots below: